Ever wonder what a day at the office is like for
me, a Broward County Commissioner? Here’s one example of something that
happened recently:

On Thursday, August 18, a resident of Sunrise contacted
my office about some crosswalks that were severely faded near
Welleby Elementary. They were concerned, especially with
school getting ready to start. My office contacted Broward County Traffic
Engineering and they sent out staff to the area of Nob Hill Road and
Josh Lee Boulevard. Sure enough, they noticed that the crosswalks needed
repainting. That repair was made within the week, so on Monday, August
23, the first day of school, students were crossing in freshly painted
crosswalks.

I would like to personally thank Broward County’s
Traffic Engineering Division for getting that job done so quickly for
you, our residents.

Like me, you may have noticed your east-west and
north-south trips on County roads are a little quicker these days. I’ve
noticed it on my daily trips around the County and from my home in Parkland
to the downtown Governmental Center in Fort Lauderdale.

It’s all because
Broward Traffic Engineering is installing equipment and working
diligently to get all the traffic lights on major roads like Sample,
McNab and University synchronized. It was a top priority for me back
in 2008 when I was mayor and after several years of planning, purchasing
new equipment and perseverance, much of the system is in place and working
smoothly.

New software, paid for by the state, is beginning
to get installed at many of our 4,200 intersections. It will change
the signal synchronization to digital technology so it can all be monitored
and controlled from a central location.

If you drive the speed limit, you’ll notice just
how many fewer red lights are part of your drive. Hats off to our Traffic
Engineering Division for their great work!

Only 23 percent of your total tax bill goes to Broward
County. The rest of the money goes to other taxing districts, including
Broward Schools, your local hospital district, your water management
district, city services and a few others. So, for every $1 you pay,
Broward County gets 23 cents.

Out of the 23 cents per dollar you pay, here is
how it is used by Broward County:

The next time you need to travel out of Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, you will find it is much easier to
pay for parking. The Airport now accepts SunPass. To make sure your transponder
will pay for parking, log onto your
SunPass account and
pre-select the SunPass
Plus program. Your SunPass account will automatically be billed
for your parking. It’s that easy!

Commissioner Ritter with some of the
first responders at the 9-11 Memorial Ceremony in Coral
Springs.

An impressive sight at the 9-11 Memorial
as the Coral Springs Fire Department hoists the American
Flag high above the event.

Commissioner Ritter with the owners
of the Tamarac Diner Café, which hosts some of the
“Coffee with
Stacy” interviews each month. Pictured (L-R) Stacy
and owners Adriana, Lincoln and Gus.

Commissioner Ritter tweets to her followers
before speaking to the Parkland/Coral Springs Democratic
Club. You can follow Stacy on Twitter -
@StacyRitter.

Also pictured are club members Percy
Johnson, Marilyn Grossman, Stacey Gendal, Parkland City
Commissioner Dave Rosenhof and Daphne Creary.

Broward County’s budget outlook for
2011-2012 is looking better. Parks and some libraries will
be reopening. The County’s tax rate will not go up, either.
Get all the details as Stacy interviews
Broward County Administrator Bertha Henry. Watch the “Coffee
with Stacy” video
HERE.

Stacy talks with area businesswoman
and Allstate agent, Stacy Kagan, about the issue of texting
while driving. Watch the “Coffee with Stacy” video
HERE.